A Chinese creator died months after destroying a Buddhist statue to test whether she would be “cursed.”
Chinese paranormal content creator Jiang Xiaorou, 24, has died after suffering severe injuries in a traffic accident, months after she gained widespread attention for destroying a Buddhist religious statue in a controversial video.
Xiaorou had more than 1.5 million followers on Douyin, China's equivalent of TikTok. She was known for exploring abandoned locations, investigating paranormal stories, and challenging traditional superstitions through her content.
Influencer Destroyed Statue to Challenge Superstition
In August 2025, Xiaorou sparked controversy after posting a video in which she destroyed a Guanyin statue, a religious symbol associated with compassion in Chinese Buddhism.
In the footage, she attacked the statue with a pair of pliers as part of an “anti-superstition” stunt. She reportedly challenged the idea that destroying a religious object would bring supernatural consequences, even telling viewers to see how long she would live afterward.
The video attracted significant criticism, with some viewers accusing Xiaorou of disrespecting a religious symbol. Following her death, the old footage resurfaced online, with some users claiming that her fatal accident was “karma” for destroying the statue.
However, there is no evidence connecting the statue incident to her death.
Family Urges Fans To Stop Speculating
Xiaorou was involved in a serious traffic accident on July 15, 2026, while traveling in a rideshare vehicle between Liuzhou and Guangzhou. She suffered severe injuries, including brain trauma and organ damage, and was hospitalized in intensive care. After spending weeks in critical condition, she died on August 10.
While her controversial statue video has once again become a major topic online, her family has urged people to respect her privacy rather than turning her death into another part of the supernatural story.
